Ok, prepare for me to vent. On the one hand, I see universities from foreign countries, the U.S. in particular, putting young people in danger because they don't wanna loose tuition money. On the other, parents pissed off at how much they're paying for online classes. Education as something you have to buy, as a product, becomes who has the shiniest, prettiest one. Not that we don't face the "where did you go" question, but as a product, it's less about the education and more abou the experience.
So, in Brazil, the best universities are public ones. They are hard to get into, so for a goodlong while, mostly private school kids made it in. Changes in access, including racial and public school quotas have improved that, as well as building more universities and campi across the country, rather than just the capitals of states.
There are no dorm rooms. Some have student housing, reserved for low-income students who move to go to uni. They pay for that, but it's essentially a cheaper apartment. The idea that one is buying an experience is ludicrous. Not that the experience doesn't exist, but people work, people take classes at different times, there are protests, and parties, and campus life, but you worked your ass off to get into the best school within reach. Not to pay for a field trip to the mall. Or to watch freakin' sports - we don't have university sports either.
The idea that universities are not reinforcing the educational aspect and how professors are extending themselves to teach online, with quality, is beyond me. Why universities are not hiring and using the tuition to improve online classes, get better resources, ensure internert quality, graphic design, applications, TAs, instead of insisting on the campus experience, is astounding. Parents, tuition is about the quality of education - or it should be. Universities - DITTO. Covid-19 is a disease that attacks your whole body, it can leave extreme consequences for its survivors, and honestly, it is just not worth it.
Alright, rant over.
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